Holland, Damian

BORN AUGUST 20TH 1968, in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, he started hockey when he moved to Verdun, Quebec, Canada, and played goal from the age of 7. [1] By the time he moved to Adelaide Australia, where he played in the local South Australian league, he was used to 50 games a season. At that time, the South Australian junior development system was in its infancy and struggling to attract youngsters. [1]

Voted Most Outstanding Player of the 1981 Tange Trophy (U16) at 13, his performance was described as "simply brilliant in frustrating the opposition in all four games the South Australians played". [1] His family were concerned he might miss out on getting the actual game experience he was used back in Canada. The national development director, Elgin Luke, pointed out the junior development system recently introduced in Australia was the same as Canada. "At this stage in his career," said Elgin Luke "I would say that he has the potential of any goal tender his age anywhere in North America or Europe". [1]

Holland debuted for Australia at 17 years 4 months in Spain in 1986, the same year his state first won the Goodall Cup. One of the best new players in many years, he was selected for the National Men's Team when he was 16 years-old, "Just a kid playing with men!" While it is true Australia again finished last, they had improved a lot, especially at their own end. Holland was spectacular between the pipes and was invited to Toronto for a goalie camp.

He went on to play in the Canadian junior system, but not before he had a hand in South Australia's first Goodall Cup in 1986. He played Division 1 college hockey (NCAA) in the USA for several years where he completed a degree at the University of Illinois (1989 - 1992). In March 1987, he competed with the National Junior Team at the U20 World Championships at Granly Hockey Arena in the seaport town of Esbjerg.

He returned to the Mighty Roos in Sydney in 1989 and won silver in Group D at Cardiff in Wales in 1990. Then came a Bronze medal in 1992 at Hull in England. Canberra's Jason Elliot was in net for the 1993 C-Pool tournament held in Slovenia for a 7th-place finish, then Holland returned in 1994 for the sixth-place finish in Barcelona.

In 1995, Elliot lost his passport and was left stranded in New York. He missed the Worlds in South Africa and Holland stepped-in. Australia finished with two wins, seventh from ten teams. Holland, the best goalie of the tournament, had completed a brilliant decade in green and gold. "I cherished every moment," he later said. "The road to NCAA Div 1 with UIC was a long one, but I couldn't have done it without some great coaches along the way. John Botterill and Ryan Switzer in particular". [4]

Holland was also an outstanding goalie for the IIHF Australian SR inline hockey team. [3] He helped set up a coaching program based loosely on the VIHDC for Roller Skating Australia (RSA), today's Skate Australia. He also helped train the national roller hockey team at Sunshine in Melbourne. [2]

He was goaltending coach for the Melbourne Mustangs IHC of the AIHL from 2016. Coach John Botterill said he loved working with the young Holland. "He was destined to be a great goalie from this early time (1981)". "He definitely faced lots of rubber in international play," wrote Clinton Horner. "He had to stand on his head just to keep the score close". And David Turik, reputedly the best minder in Australia in the Eighties, described him as "one of the very best of all time".

Damian Holland came to symbolise the new junior development push led by Elgin Luke in the early 1980s. It was adopted nationally in 1980-1 by president Phil Ginsberg and secretary Sandi Logan.